Transmitter for impulse-driven clock systems.



P. M. SCHMIDT. TRANSMITTER FOR IMPULSE DRIVEN ULOGK' SYSTEMS. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5. 1908.

91 9.646. Patented Apr. 27,1909.

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I. M. SCHMIDT. TRANSMITTER FOR IMPULSE DRIVEN GLOGK SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5. 1908. Patented Apr. 27,

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P. M. SCHMIDT.

TRANSMITTER ram IMPULSE DRIVEN CLOCK SYSTEMS. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5. 1908,

9 1 9,646. Patented Apr. 27, 1909 3 SHEETE-SHBBT 3n Q/vWVI/WJOQOC 5 and 'c M g L Mum. 4%

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UNXTFD STATES PA JEN U FREDERICK M. SCHMIDT, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGROR 'lO SELF WINDING OLOUK COMPANY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TRANSMITTER FOR IMPULSE-DRIVEN CLOCK SYSTEMS.

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Application filed November 5, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Fnnnnnron M. SCHMIDT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Transmitters for impulse-Driven Clock Systems, of which the following is a full and clear specification, and of which the novel features are pointed out in the annexed claims.

in synchronizing clock systems heretofore known, which control secondary clocks from a master clock by means of electrical current, the contact devices, which close the circuits leading to the different secondary clocks, are generally disposed on the master clock itself, that is to say for instance, the second or minute arbor of the master clock directly operates the contact arms or arm. The disadvantages of this arrangement are principally that owing to the small power which is naturally available, the contact springs must be very light and the contact very soft, so that in turn the contact points will remain in contact longer than and not posi live as it is necessary, and will consume an undue amount of current.

it is the principal object of my invention to produce a contactdevice which I shall hereinafter call transmitter, which owing to its being independent of the sensitive mechanism of the master clock, will produce powerful mechanical impulses which will rapidly close and open the contacts of the secondary circuits. By this arrangement I consume only a small portion of the current consumed in the contact devices directly mounted on the master clock above referred to. This transmitter, being operated independently of the master clock, will require only very little power from the master clock to be released at the proper time for operation, and furthermore, any number of sec ondary clocks may be added to the system by simply adding transmitters or changing the size of the transmitter, without being compelled to change the master clock proper which is the case in most systems heretofore known.

I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings my novel transmitter, in which- Figure l is a plan view of the transmitter and its release mechanism. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the transmitter seen from the left hand side in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a left Patented April .27, 1909.

Serial No. 61,229.

hand side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 2. Fig. l is a detail side view of one of the contact members, and Fig. 5 is a wiring diagram showing the transmitter and a number of secondary clocks connected to it.

deferring to Fig. 1, 1 represents the top plate of the transmitter underneath of which a train operating the transmitter may be disposed. This train may be of any suitable kind known in the art adapted to rotate the 'ratchet wheel 2 which is concentrically mounted with and above the top plate. The teeth of ratchet wheel 2, as is shown in Fig. l, consist of insulating material and against these teeth bear a number of substantially tangentially disposed contact arms Each of these arms is supported by a block -l with a leaf spring 5 interposed between the contact end of the arm and the portion which is fastened to block at by means of screws (3. Moreover the arm is insulated from the block i and rests in its inoperative position against stop 7 which is fastened together with arm 3 to block l. Year the end of arm 3 are provided two contact points 8 which are more clearly shown in the side elevation of arm 3 in l. On the opposite side of each block l is correspomlingly disposed, and insulated therefrom, contact spring 9 likewise resting on the stop member 10 in its inoperative position, and provided at its end with a contact pin 11, shown in side ele ration Fig. 2. The corresponding arms of each block are disposed so that in their in operative position, contact pin 11 will stand opposite contact points 8 of arm 3 at a suitable distance. if new ratchet wheel 2 is revolved in the direction indicated by the arrow it will be seen that arm 3 will he lifted by the tooth with which it is in engagement, so that its point 8 and pin 11 will contact and close the circuit to which arms 3 and 9 are connected by their terminals 12 and 13. After the point of the tooth has passed the end of arm 3 the latter will fall back into the notch formed by this tooth and the following and the contact between points 8 and 11 will be again interrupted. By suitably choosing the time during which one tooth passes S and 11 may be reduced to a minimum. 1 have shown in F 1 four of such contact devices arranged in staggered relation to each other. It will be also noted that, owing to the distance beescapement, for instance by rod 34:.

tween the supporting points of arms 3 and 9, contact points 8 will have a, wiping motion upon contacting with pin 11, so that thereby the contact surface of both contact elements are permanently kept clean.

I have illustrated in Fig. 2, as an example. a. clock train which may be used tor operating atchet wheel 2 without limiting myself shaft 21 and bearing the pallet 22 of the escapement. The other pallet 23 also fastened to rocking shaft- 21 is disposed below the member 20. Pallet 22 cooperates with stop 2% and pallet 23 with stop 25, both of which are fixed to shaft 16 ot the escape ment 1?. On plate 18 is further disposed rocking lever 26 one end of which is provided with a pin 27 disposed in the slot of anchor member 20. Furthermore the side of rocking lever 26 hearing pin 2'? is disposed between two stops tor limiting its rocking motion. it will now l e seen that it lever 26 is rocked at the other end, the anchor escapement will operate in well known manner, thereby during one full period of rocking permitting the shaft 16 to perform one whole revolution. The gear ing of the clock train illustrated in il ig. 2 is chosen so that when shaft 16 pert'orms one revolution, toothed wheel 2 is advanced one tooth in the direction indicated by the ar row in Fig. 1, and thus the cont ct points of the contact levers in engagement with the teeth have made contact once at each. revolution of shat't 16. The free end of lever 26 may be connected to any suitable portion of the master clock adapted to rock it at the time desired.

Iliaveshown as an example diagrammatically in 1 how rocking lever 26 may be operated. In this figure 29 represents the second arbor of the master clock on which is also mounted a snail cam 30. At a suitable point of the master clock is further pivoted rocking lever 31, one arm 32 of which is suitably shaped at its end and in engagement with snail cam 30 and the other end 33 of which is connected to the free end of rocking lever 26 of the anchor Thus it will be seen that at every revolution of the second arbor 29, rocking lever 31 will perform one full up and down stroke and thus operate the transmitter escapement.

instead of transmitting an impulse every minute other suitable cams'maybe used on the second arbor in order to produce two or more impulses per minute. I have shown in Fig. '1 theescapement mechanism and a snail "am and the lever connected therewith in such. a relative position that the snail cam has just depressed the end 32 of lever 31 almost to its maximum which has caused pallet 23 to release its stop 25, which was previously resting againstthe outer face of pallet 23, so that stop 2t has come into engagement with its pallet 22. In this position the elements of the mechanism remain until the top of snail cam 30 has reached the end 32 0t lever 31, whereupon end'32 will'be released and rock upward, end 33, rod 34 and the free end of lever 26 with its additional adjustable weight d0 being of suflieient weight to cause end 32 to remain in engagement with snail cam 30. By the upward motion of end 32 pallet 22 will release its stop and shaft 16 will complete its revolution, whereupon stop 25 will again be engaged by its pallet which upon the release of stop 2% has been moved back into the path of stop As already stated above, by controlling this whole transmitter from the master clock and 2y using an individual train for operating the transmitter independently of 'the master clock any suitable number of powert'ul contact impulses may be given simultaneously by the transmitter without impairing in any way the power for operating the master clock except by the slight friction caused by the bearing of lever 31 on snail cam 30. and by lifting this lever. v

in the diagram shown in Fig. I'havc illustrated a. manner in which a number of seconda y clocks maybe connected to the contact arms of the transmitter. In this diagram 2 represents the toothed wheel, of which only a portion of the teeth are shown, and represent the two contact arms 3 and ot the four contact devices shown in this diagram in engagement with wheel 2. It is also obvious from the drawings that, all the conact arms operated by ratchet wheel 2 being the same relation to the teeth of the wheel, contact arms 3 will be raised and will l back simultaneously and thus close and errupt their contacts simultaneously, so tiat all secondary clocks in connection ierewith will be operated in synchronism. he arms 3 of the contact device are coniected to a common wire leading to one of he poles of battery 35, while each arm 9 of he tour devices is connected to a different series of secondary clocks 36. In each series maybe disposed a suitable number of'secondary clocks 36 wiich depends upon the voltage of the battery 35. As an eXample'I have shown liere'foursecondary clocks in series tor each contactdevice. The other end of each series of secondary clocks is connected to a common Wire leading to the other pole of the battery. From the dia gram and from the description of the transmitter it is obvious that any number of secondary clocks may be disposed in each series and any suitable number of series may be added to the system by simply adding a new contact device for each series Without otherwise changing the master clock in any manner. In order to provide for the additional contacts on the transmitter, the latter may be either made of suiticient diameter and the ratchet Wheel 2 of suflicient size, so as to conveniently accommodate an additional number o'l contact devices or a new transmitter may be added Which contains the required additional number of contact devices, and which may be also operated from rocking lever 31.

hat I claim is:

t. For electrically controlling secondary clocks trom a master clock, a master clock a transmitter disposed and operated independently ot' the master clock, having plurality of electrical contacts and adapted to momentarily close all of said contacts simultaneusly, and means mechanically controlled 't'rom the master clock for )ermittin said D 1 transmitter to close said contacts at ano din-Eng predeter ned time inter ale.

9. For electrically cont-rolling secondary clocks from a master clock, a master clock a transmitter comprising a clock movement disposed and operated independently of the master clock, and having a plurality of eleci-ical contact devices adapted to be momen- *ily simultaneously closed by it, and means nechanically controlled from the master clock for permitting said movement to momentarily close said contact devices at predetermined time intervals.

l. For electrically controlling seconcary clocks trom a master clock, a master clock a transmitter comprising a clock movement disposed and operated independently of the master clock, and having a plurality of electrical contact devices adapted to be momenta rily simultaneously closed by it, and means for normally arresting said movement and tor releasing same during a predetermined period, and means mechanically operated from the master clock for controlling said releasing means to operate at predetermined time internals, said movement momentarily closing said contact devices at each of said periods.

For electrically controlling secondary clocks trom a master clock, a mast r clock a transmitter c ..prising a clock movement dis sed ano operated independently of the maser clock, and having a plurality of electrical contact devices adapted to be momentarily simultaneously closed by it, and an escapement mechanism for releasing said movement during a predetermined period, and means mechanically operated from the master clock for controlling said escapement to operate at predetermined time intervals, said movement momentarily closing said contact devices at each of said periods For electrically controlling secondary clocks trom a master clock, a master clock a transmitter comprising a clock movement disposed and operated independently of the master clock, and having a plurality of electrieal contact devices acapted to be momentarily closed by it, and an escapement mech an sm for releasing said movement during a predetermined period, and a snail cam suitably operated by said master clock, and a rocking lever pern'rinently in engagement with said cam at one end and suitably connected with said escapement at the other end, said snail cam causing said escapement to operate at predetermined time intervals to cause said movement to momentarily close said contact devices at each of said periods.

6. A transmitter ot' the character described having a ratchet wheel with insulated teeth and means :"or intermittently operating said Jvheel one tooth at a time, and contact de vices on said transmitter adapted to be operated by said \vheel, comprising two insulated yielding contact. arms having contact points at their tree ends, one arm in engagement with the teeth of said wheel and adapted to be lifted thereby, the other arm resting against a suitable stop, both arms disposed relativet to each other to form a gap betiveen their contact points in inoperative position, said arms adapted to contact each other when said ratchet Wheel. operated.

FEE E JCK M. SCHMlDT. ll itnesses H. Aarnno JA'UKE,

H. H. KNIGHT. 

